Month: November 2024

As we come close to the final vote tally in this presidential election, it becomes clear that Trump actually won by a very narrow popular vote count that rivals the Bush v Gore race. It doesn’t discount the fact that nearly half the nation voted for a despicable human being who shows no regard for our Constitution, the rule of law, or the plight of others. Beyond staying out of prison or seeking revenge on those who tried to hold him accountable for his criminal actions, his desire is to dominate and enrich himself by subjugating others and outright fraud is on full display. As a nation, we witnessed his cruelty, his mob-like behavior, his constant lying and childish insults and yet many still voted for him. His recent cabinet picks are just further evidence that his loyalty lies not with improving the country for its citizens, but with obtaining more power through loyal misfits, sycophants, conspiracy theorists, selfish billionaires, and unethical characters. There is plenty of blame to go around for how we got here, but now is the time to build our personal fortresses to protect ourselves from the mayhem that is about to occur. After that, we must decide whether to fight or flee.

I mentioned last week that we must prepare now to protect the reproductive choice and health of the young women in our lives. Red states are not safe for women of childbearing age as OBGYNs either have their hands tied or are fleeing those states. Red states are becoming maternal health care desserts with dire consequences. In addition, more babies are dying shortly after birth and others will have lifelong severe disabilities as a result of their heartbeat policies. Beyond stocking up on contraception, morning after pills, and abortion medication, those of us in states that protect maternal health can open our doors to young family members and friends who need help or a safer place for pregnancy and delivery. Being willing and able to help financially is also an act of empathy and kindness that can save a young woman’s life and future. Of course, women of childbearing age should have a passport in case a nationwide abortion ban goes into effect.

In addition to protecting the reproductive health of the young women in our lives, we must also pay attention to our finances. Retailers like Walmart have already announced that their prices will rise as a result of the impending tariffs. Companies are stocking up on supplies to ward off price increases. Our response has been to make our major purchases now. We did some renovations, purchased a new sofa and a new television. We are stocking up on everyday goods in anticipation of these price increases to stretch our money further. I even expanded our pantry to accommodate many more staples, and I filled shelves to the brim with unperishable items. I moved money to safer havens with easier access in anticipation of a market drop or a need for ready cash without paying additional taxes or penalties. In the new fiscal year, I will do more of the same prior to Trump taking office. Our goal is to avoid paying the consequences for his unpredictable and unwise fiscal policies.

We plan to be thoughtful about where we spend our money. We created a list of Trump-supporting stores that we will not patronize which includes Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Ross, and Chic fil a. We will patronize minority owned businesses and businesses in our small city before going elsewhere. And we will patronize the movie industry, live theater, visual artists, restaurants, and musicians by spending our dollars on creatives who improve our mental health and advocate for humanity. We won’t be buying anything that Elon Musk or Trump sells. In fact, we won’t even listen to their speeches or interviews. They each get on my nerves.

Protecting my peace of mind in the coming years is paramount. I won’t be watching corporate news any longer. I’ll limit my time and my viewing to local and publicly funded news sources. I’ll keep my New York Times subscription because I value investigative journalism. Instead of just stressing out over the impending bad news, I’m planning to carefully pick organizations actively defending our civil rights and advocating for vulnerable people and donate to them. As for social media, I’ve joined the new platform, Bluesky, and I am already enjoying the science, K-pop, gardening, and art content I requested. I’ve unfriended a number of people on Facebook who supported Trump, and I’ll continue to post my thoughts as an outlet, paying no attention to the number of views or likes I get. I won’t argue morality with morons anymore. I understand that Facebook and Instagram limit political content and I imagine it will only get worse with Trump in the White House issuing threats.

I’m planning to do more gardening, expanding my vegetable garden for more organic produce since prices are going to skyrocket when there are too few farm laborers left to harvest crops after Trump’s mass deportations. And who knows what will be in the food after deregulation for profits and there too few food inspectors empowered to inspect the food. There really is cause for concern and it’s distressing when you spend a lot of time thinking about it. My nerves will need far more mental breaks.

I relax when I’m knitting and crocheting, so I’ll do more of that and donate items to our local seniors, shelters, and newborn hospital wards. I plan to read more fiction rather than non-fiction this coming year. I plan to connect with family and friends in more meaningful ways. I pray and meditate during my daily walks, so that will continue. And I’ll keep listening to music while I cook, garden, craft, and do chores. I’ll spend time watching K-pop content on YouTube because their music videos are amazing. I’ll also enjoy K-dramas and a few U.S. dramas as well. I plan to utilize my dozens of cookbooks more often to discover new recipes this year. And of course, I plan to take care of my health by eating well, sleeping well, grooming well, and exercising.

In conclusion, I am basically choosing flight with a small amount of fight. My fight will be in my blog, social media post, donations to frontline organizations, and in letter to lawmakers. But the actual fighting belongs to white folks. They remain the majority who decided this election, and so they must decide among themselves whether this will be an inclusive multicultural democracy or a Taliban-like white-suprematist theocracy. In either case, I will do what I need to do to provide an ark for my family’s safety and well-being.

Half the nation has bought us to this terrifying moment in time. I keep saying to myself that in these troubled times that God will not be mocked and that we will reap what we sow. I recall that Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “These six things the Lord hates. Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil. A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Trump and those who support him are all these things and they will not achieve the glorious end they’ve imagined for themselves.

On one of my walks this week, an older white gentleman, whom I’ve seen numerous times out walking his three little dogs, shouted to me from across the street how disappointed he was that Kamala Harris lost. At first, I thought it was bold of him to assume I was a Harris supporter, but then anyone who followed the election results knows that 92% of black women voted for her. And we live in a pretty liberal area of California. So, perhaps he wasn’t so bold after all. As soon as I confirmed his assumption, he crossed the street, and we had a lengthy political post-mortem conversation during which I remarked that this is his fight moving forward. I told him that black folks did our job trying to convince Americans to vote for Harris and then we voted for her as evidenced by the fact that she received 92% of the black female vote and 78% of the black male vote. I told him that we aren’t really fighting among ourselves except to convince other black folks to exercise their hard fought right to vote. He shared the ongoing political struggles within his extended family and how frustrating it was. I was sympathetic but encouraged him to continue the fight because the conflict is among white people and Latino people who make up the largest portion of the electorate. The battle is white women against white women and white men against white men. The same for Latinos. I told him the heavy lifting moving forward is on people like him, not people like me. I shared that my plan was to grab my popcorn and watch the shit show commence while supporting civil liberty organizations and protecting my family from harm.

I’m reading about all the black women planning to “mind their own black business” in the coming four years. Like many others, I have “unfriended” those who voted for Trump because I can no longer associate with people who knowingly align themselves with white supremacists, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and sexist people who agree to endanger and destroy the lives of others for cheaper eggs. Their lack of empathy is not worthy of my time and energy. We are not friends, and I also refuse to knowingly patronize businesses who supported Trump. My plan moving forward is to protect my peace of mind by limiting my exposure to the news and to hateful people while also protecting my loved ones against the harmful consequences of this election.

For all those like me who plan to build an ark to weather the impending storm, these are my plans. First and foremost, I want to ensure the reproductive rights and safety of the females in my family who are of childbearing age. For us mothers, grandmothers and aunties, particularly in red states, we can ensure that we have a supply of birth control, morning after pills, abortion pills, or travel funds ready for the young women in our lives. This is about protecting the mental, physical, and financial health as well as preserving the life possibilities of the young women we love and care about. While children are a blessing, I believe the Bible teaches us that life begins when a fetus is capable of breath around 24 weeks. Before that, I believe the fetus is a human body (temple) under construction as in when God formed Adam out of the dusk of the earth. Adam became a living being when God breathed into his nostrils, the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7).

That said, I realize that nothing will handicap a family’s upward mobility more than an unplanned pregnancy or a planned pregnancy gone terribly wrong. Access to maternal checkups and safe abortion in red states has been drastically reduced and as a result more women are dying from pregnancy and birth complications (especially black women), and more newborns are already dying shortly after birth in red states according to the CDC. Some of these affected women have other children and their care becomes the responsibility of the family or the state. We will also start to see a sharp uptick in babies being born with severe abnormalities and chronic disabilities. These too will place an added layer of mental and financial stress on families for years to come. If the Republicans are successful in banning abortion and contraception nationwide, that supply of reproductive care products will become increasingly important as will the ability to travel outside the country. For now, California is the safest state to be pregnant and give birth. In short, the time is now to stock up and become a resource to female family members.

The ability to travel may not only be needed to address reproductive health concerns. but for the safety and freedom of targeted groups. The second thing we did was renew our passports in case a quick exit becomes necessary. While highly improbable, as in the first Trump administration, white supremacists are likely to become more emboldened. I suspect it will be far worse this time. Black, brown and Asian men and women could easily become targets of Trump and the MAGA movement, not only targeted for deportation but for mass incarceration and violence. Trump is surrounding himself with the likes of Steven Miller, a white suprematists, Steve Bannon, a white nationalist, Elon Musk, a white capitalist from South Africa, and Mike Johnson, a white Christian nationalist, and many others who believe white people are the only true Americans worthy of civil rights. This country can quickly become a dangerous place for all people of color. The same is true for religious minorities and LGBTQ folks. Having an updated passport and emergency funds set aside is a prudent thing to do.

There is much more to consider when preparing to weather the storm of the next four years. I’ll conclude this post with Proverbs 22: 3: ” A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”

Next week I’ll reflect on maintaining mental health and boosting financial well-being in the face of turmoil and uncertainty.

I knew it could happen that Americans would re-elect Trump despite all his moral shortcomings and leadership failures. Even his fascist rhetoric didn’t dissuade enough people from casting their ballot in his favor and against her. Exit polls indicate that the majority actually voted for him because of the economy. But how exactly are his vague policy proposals good for the economy compared to her specific policies? Many said it was their fear of violent immigrants that tipped the scale in his favor when actual violence perpetrated by undocumented immigrants is rare. And some wanted to stop spending money on the war in Ukraine. Despite the actual strength of the economy, the rarity of immigrant violent crime, and the moral and strategic significance of supporting Ukraine, this election highlighted the fact that we have a gullible and uninformed electorate. And that needs to change. But this election also revealed something about the American people, particularly white people and Latinos.

Since all Americans care deeply about the economy and their personal safety, why is it that only black folks voted for Harris in overwhelming numbers? It’s not just because she is black, but because she addressed how she would help the economy, preserve reproductive health and freedom, stem gun violence, and address immigration. Despite that, more than half of white people and Latino men voted for the candidate who offered no solutions that would improve the economy, safeguard young women, or stem gun violence. They voted for the man who killed the comprehensive immigration bill so he could run on chaos at the border. They voted for the man who plans to round up and deport millions of people whom our economy relies on for their manual labor. Imagine how much food prices will rise if half the farm workers are deported because literally half are undocumented. Not to mention the price of gardening, housekeeping, and construction. And every educated person knows that tariffs raise prices for the consumer. So, with the exception of low information voters, I think something else was at play.

I think there are a lot of people in this country who simply couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a woman of color. Rather than admit to their racism and misogyny, they pointed to the high price of food and housing or their fear of “violent” immigrants. And then there are many others who are extremely uncomfortable with transgender issues and their demands for recognition and inclusion. They’d prefer to stuff these people back in the closet rather than learn to use gender neutral pronouns, build gender neutral public bathrooms, and figure out how to deal with athletic competitions moving forward. They understand nothing about how gender-affirming care is saving lives. And I hope no one actually believed that schools are performing sex change operations or that Harris promotes tax-payer funded sex change operations for prisoners!

To say I am disappointed in our nation because of the outcome of this election is an understatement. The land of the free is less free for women of childbearing age, public health and OBGYN doctors, parents of school age children, and transgender individuals. It is a more dangerous place for pregnant women, OBGYN doctors, undocumented immigrants and naturalized citizens, black males, transgender people, and anyone in public spaces. It’s certainly a more frustrating place for investigative journalists, educators, and scientists. The ability to educate the public on real issues has become close to impossible with the proliferation of corporate media more interested in garnering clicks for money than distributing the factual information that will help us make wise choices. It’s not surprising that some educators have taken to social media to provide medical information, financial tips or history and science lessons. The problem is that none of them are vetted. Helpful but inconvenient content can be minimized by the platform, and conspiracy-laced misinformation can spread without being fact-checked. Salacious lies spread much faster than boring but necessary truths.

In light of the election results, I’ve spent the last three days trying to process what just happened. I’ve posted my frustration on Facebook and Instagram, and I’ve responded to others who are terrified, angry, sad, frustrated, and hopeless. Many feel deeply betrayed while others are gloating in their victory and playing despicable pranks on blacks and female college students. There are some who just want to agree to disagree and remain friends. I’ve avoided the gloaters altogether. But I’ve responded to the deeply disappointed folks by encouraging self-care and trying to restore their fighting spirit. And I’ve also responded to the “we can still be friends” folks with a resounding response that it matters to me why you voted for him. If someone understood that their vote was going to harm others so they can purchase cheaper eggs, then we cannot be friends. In my book, friends must share fundamental values, and I value people over temporary things. I also value having a respectable and competent president who doesn’t spend his time insulting other people and threatening those who oppose him.

In my coming blogs, I plan to share my thoughts about ways to move forward. But for the next week I will continue to sit with my emotions, process them, and begin to develop a way to turn these lemons into lemonade for the people who share my love for humanity. For now, I take comfort in the scripture that says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I can’t wait for this election to be over and for everything settle down. I know it won’t actually be over on election day because all the votes won’t be fully counted. But even if Harris wins (and I predict she will), it won’t be over because Trump has already set the stage to contest the results if he loses. He has Speaker Mike Johnson in his corner along with a bought and paid for Supreme Court. My hope is that Americans deliver the House and Senate to the democrats to effectively shut down their nefarious plan to steal the election if Trump loses.

Even if Harris wins, nearly half the country will feel like the world is coming to an end. They have been convinced that she is “stupid”, without policy plans, is a Marxist or communist, and is dangerous. They have been convinced that the country is falling apart despite all objective indicators that it is not. There is literally a fog of fear, misogyny, bigotry and blind devotion clouding their eyes and brains so that they cannot hear reason or have faith in their own five senses.

Trump supporters are incapable of trusting the economists, business leaders, constitutional law experts, psychologists, scientists, teachers, military generals and even Trump family members who are warning us of his fascism and dangerous plans that will negatively affect the economy, the environment, and vulnerable citizens. Even Elon Musk, the billionaire supporting Trump, has said that his economic plans will cause a lot of financial pain to millions of Americans at first, but that things will eventually get better. What does that mean and how much pain and for what? So, the top 1% can get another tax break and Trump can carry out his bigoted deportations? Unemployment is at a 50-year record low meaning immigrants aren’t stealing jobs but doing jobs we rely on.

Think for a moment about what it will mean to deport millions of people and all the businesses who will be hurting for employees. Think about the loss of customers for businesses and the loss of tax revenues to cities and to Social Security and Medicare that his mass deportation will cause. Think of all the heartache and pain he will inflict on people seeking a better life. His other policies are just as worrisome.

Think of how tariffs raise consumer prices. Mike Johnson has already promised to end the Affordable Care Act with no solid plan waiting to replace it. And Trump has offered no relief to working families, climate change, gun violence, or Social Security. He has offered JFK, Jr. a position in charge of our health when he has no medical or science background. He promises to give police immunity for police brutality and to weaponize the military against citizens he considers to be “the enemy from within”. He expresses his desire to take away the licenses of television networks he doesn’t like. The man who boasted about grabbing women by their genitals claims that “he will protect women, even if they don’t like it.” And just this week, he shared his desire to have Liz Cheney shot by a firing squad.

It has become crystal clear that Trump and his supporters believe that the real Americans are white Christian people who support him and that the rest of us are second class citizens residing in their country. Like he did before, he will work only on behalf of his supporters, not everyone. This is a man ruled by instinct and ego and has no regard for the rule of law nor our Constitution nor factual data. We’ve seen this firsthand, and we’ve been warned by those close to him. A future Trump Administration will be devoid of adults to stop him from following those instincts.

Should Harris win and take office, his supporters are fearful that minorities and liberals might take over and do what exactly? Trump has convinced his followers that only he can save this country from certain destruction of a country filled with black and brown people who are insane rapists and murderers. He’s claims that the entire country will become like Detroit if the Democrats win. That’s a lot to be afraid of if his claims were actually based in reality.

But the reality is very different and even though they are living it, they don’t believe it. Biden won in 2020 and what we’ve experienced is a growing economy, low unemployment, higher wages, new infrastructure projects taking place, savings and investments growing, lower crime rates, the pandemic under control, former students being freed from crippling student debt that structurally resists repayment, and a stronger NATO. Is everything perfect. Of course not! Inflation was high because of the pandemic, but it is back to normal, however that still leaves us with sticker shock. And people are still dying from Fentanyl smuggled in by American citizens, not immigrants. And we’re all upset by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine even though our soldiers aren’t actually fighting in those wars. No one likes seeing innocent people blown up and whole cities destroyed. Undocumented immigrants are still coming but the flow is less since Biden took executive action after Trump destroyed the bi-partisan immigration bill.

There are real problems that need to be dealt with so why fabricate problems? It’s a lie that children are having sex change operations at school, that Haitians are eating pets, that climate change is a hoax, that childless cat ladies are ruining the country, that doctors are killing newborns, that everyone wanted the abortion bans, and that most migrants are insane people here to rape and murder us.

If Trump wins, it will be the beginning of more than just fatigue, but the beginning of serious sorrows for many people. I told my husband yesterday that my biggest fear beyond his election was that Trump would lose the election and after unsuccessfully trying to steal it again, he would immediately announce his candidacy for 2028 to avoid prison. And worse, that we would let him do it.